Head swap to make my D15B7 VTEC

m.glisson003

03-04-2011, 04:29 AM

Can I put on a VTEC head on this block to make it a VTEC? If so, which one?

CivicSpoon

03-04-2011, 09:48 AM

Yes, it's often referred to as a mini-me swap.

You can use the head from a D16Z6 ('92-'95 Civic EX/Si & '93-'95 Del Sol Si), which would be your best bet. You would need to buy a new distributor for this head, as it's an "oddball" when it comes to mounting holes.

You could also use the head from a D16Y8 ('96-'00 Civic EX and '96-'97 Del Sol Si). With this you'd need 1 head bolt for a '96-'00 D-series (that goes where the VTEC solenoid is), and 9 head bolts from the B7 (or '88-'95 D-series in general). You can reuse your stock D15B7 distributor and injectors, which will make it easier on the wiring side of things.

With either swap, you'd want to either get a '92-'95 P28 ECU (the ECU for the D16Z6), so it plugs right into your existing harness. Otherwise you could use a P2P ECU (D16Y8 ECU), but I'd advise against that if possible. With the P2P, you'd need to get conversion harness for the ECU. Adding on to that, there is a wiring difference between the '96-'98 P2P and the '99-'00 P2P, so you'd have to know exactly which one you had, in order to buy the right conversion harness. You will also need to remove an oil jet from the block, between the #2 & #3 cylinders. It's a little plug looking thing, with a hole in the center.

There are dozens of write-ups on this swap, I highly recommend doing a search for more specific info.